RBC Heritage begins Sustainability Certification

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina, September 24, 2016 - The Heritage Classic Foundation today announced that it has taken steps, in partnership with the Golf Environment Organization (GEO) and The Sea Pines Resort, to attain a sustainability certification for the RBC Heritage to become a GEO Certified Tournament.

In 2016, the Foundation and its partners decided to highlight sustainability initiatives in place at South Carolina’s only PGA TOUR golf tournament while simultaneously establishing a baseline to support improvement moving forward. As a result, the Sustainability Review, produced by GEO, an international not-for-profit dedicated to sustainability in golf, summarizes the sustainabili­ty initiatives and carbon emissions associated with the 2016 RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. The review is a significant step in advancing the RBC Heritage towards the goal of becoming a GEO Certified® Tournament – a credible eco-label for golf tournaments which is currently under development.

“This tournament has always taken tremendous pride in its host setting and the positive impact it delivers to the region,” said RBC Heritage’s Vice President of Operations Morgan Hyde. “Pursuing a more sustainable event is a natural fit given the history surrounding this great tournament.”

The 4,000 people who cycled 25,000 miles to and from the event saved 7.5 tCO2e or the equivalent of powering one home in the USA for nearly an entire year.

By working with Palmetto Electric and Santee Cooper, 100% of the electricity they provided to the tournament was from renewable energy sources, which reduced the total operational carbon footprint by 11%. Solar and wind power saved 23 tons of CO2e.

The review applauded the RBC Heritage’s 20% reduction in waste but recommended it work towards more ambitious waste reduction targets in 2017.

“RBC Heritage and The Sea Pines Resort have demonstrated a commitment to lowering the environmental footprint of the tournament as made evident through the “Keeping it Green” initiatives and data collection efforts of the 2016 RBC Heritage Presented by Boe­ing,” said GEO’s CEO Jonathan Smith. “Due to these efforts, RBC Heritage now has a strong baseline report, best practices, and a leadership pathway to make the tournament more sustainable in future years, and we look forward to continuing to support them on this journey.”

The 49th annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing will take place April 10-16, 2017 over the famed Harbour Town Golf Links. Tournament tickets are on sale at www.rbcheritage.com.

About Heritage Classic Foundation
The Heritage Classic Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives throughout the state of South Carolina. As the general sponsor of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage presented by Boeing, millions of dollars generated from ticket sales and sponsorships are distributed to charitable organizations that enhance the quality of life for our citizens. Since it was founded as a 501(c)(3) in 1987, the Foundation has donated close to $34 million to people in need. For more information, call (843) 671-2448, visit www.heritageclassicfoundation.com or Facebook (Heritage Classic Foundation) and Twitter (@HCFGolf).